This is my N gauge version of the real water tank still standing in the small Saskatchewan town of Harris.
A question- Not quite on topic... Can you explain how the covered water tower functioned? If I recall, it was to prevent freezing? So, was there someone on duty manning a boiler, or heating device? Boxcab E50
They had stoves initially , that were fueled as needed by whoever had jurisdiction over area. Online with no station , it was gandydancers province. At stations it would be agent , or whomsoever had duty to light switch and signal lanterns, and the like. This made tanks located at stations desirable on moderately travelled rail lines At engine terminals, assuming they weren't fed by the/a stationery steam plant , it would fall to the laborers under the yard/terminal master that did the stocking of supplies at and sevicing of sandhouses, wash racks,ash pits , etc. There often was a fuel and water section that provided the manpower, that was under the Master Mechanic , but I don't know who gave the direct orders. Later, when electrified heaters , or oil fired furnacers appeared in some places the servicing passed to engineering. The latter was not particularly desirable in rural RoWs as a power failure ended heating. Conventional coal , or gravity fed oil stoves were desirable . There were also heaters in tanks with frost boxes covering the feed pipes and pump access. as well as a totally enclosed tank.
Thats really a nice model. I read somewhere that the walls were filled with sawdust for insulation, and that they were heated with an oil burning heater to prevent freezing.
